Dude how is it the end of July already.

I mean seriously, right? Feels like the month just zoomed right by. Maybe it’s just me. But hey, if you do feel the same, one good thing to take from it is that the Monthly Recommendation Roundup gets to you that much sooner 😉 That said, if you weren’t exactly waiting for it and just happened to stumble in for this one, well, you showed up at just the right time, so welcome aboard all the same! And if it is the latter and you’re not too sure what this is all about—

At the end of each month, I put together a post featuring Japanese music that I’ve listened to and want to recommend to you all. Keep in mind, these songs don’t necessarily have to be recent releases. Some might be tracks I’ve just discovered, while others could be longtime favorites that I’m excited to share on a whim.

The songs I feature will all come from YouTube links to their respective PVs, which means there are some limitations on what I can include. However, I find that sticking to one platform ensures the most accessibility for everyone (and there are easy workarounds for region restrictions). This also allows me to create a playlist of all the songs featured in each Roundup, which I update and share at the end of every post

This one may or may not be a little scuffed, as I’ll actually be in the middle of a business trip by the time this comes out, so I ended up writing parts of it way earlier than I normally would. Hopefully nothing sticks out too much though, and it just ends up reading like a regular old Roundup to you (lol).

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μεταμορπηοςε/metamorphose
by 文藝天国 (bungei tengoku; “Blooming Bungei”)
Invading all the five senses

It feels like it’s been ages since we last heard from the creative minds of composer/songwriter shinonome ko and colorist Sumi Aika, better known together as the alternative art collective Blooming Bungei. For those who might not be aware, the duo’s work as a rock unit is only one part of their broader creative identity. Their aim has always been to engage all five senses, having previously released original clothing, perfumes, and even hand-crafted specialty teas, which they sell at occasional pop-up shops. It seems that during their time away, the duo has been steeping something quite special: a full-on sensory experience centered around the theme of μεταμορφηοσε, or metamorphose, a transformation that, in their words, is “not about becoming someone else, but about repeatedly rediscovering oneself.” Fittingly enough, I think their latest song captures that sentiment perfectly. At its heart, it still carries the beautifully chaotic melodic signature that Blooming Bungei has come to be known for, but there’s definitely a fresh twist this time around. Notably, this might just be the most bass-driven track I’ve ever heard from them,

不治/fuji
by Trooper Salute
Wow, just wow.

When I featured Trooper Salute back in May, I had them pegged as a band with a pretty specific kind of sound, namely, that retro-leaning, lighthearted funky pop rock vibe we got from Tenshi-chan dayo. So suffice it to say, I did not expect to hear what I heard in Fuji. What they’ve managed to create here is something I can only describe as summer magic. Now, “magic” is a word I don’t throw around lightly when talking about music. And when I do use it, it’s usually tied more to a feeling than anything technical or tangible in the song itself, just as you’d expect from something magical. It’s also never quite the same feeling twice. Sometimes, it’s Kamishiraishi Mone conjuring a vast imaginary expanse with her voice. Other times, it’s Kaneko Ayano pulling people in close with hers. What Trooper Salute pulls off with Fuji is the kind of daze you fall into during the thick of a hot summer day, when time feels like it’s melting. So much so, in fact, that you don’t even notice the track runs for over eight minutes. What I love is that even with this shift in mood, the band still holds onto that retro-cool aesthetic, both in how the song sounds and how it’s presented visually.

Lonely in Gorgeous
by 7co
Retro is in vogue

This is something that I’ve been noticing for, well, I guess you could say quite a while now in hindsight, especially when I think back to the first few times I started equating the rise of city pop as something like a post-modern movement. But I really do think there’s something to this whole retro-cool aesthetic in Japanese music, at least based on how often I see it pop up. We saw it used to great effect by muque last year, which helped them become one of 2024’s breakout acts. And now, both Brandy Senki and 7thVega have since followed suit and are well on track to becoming 2025’s. So, is retro the way to go? I mean, the results kind of speak for themselves. Granted, it’s probably not just the retro themes doing the heavy lifting, more than likely, it’s just one of a number of contributing factors. That said, more often than not, it is cool when done right. Case in point: 7co’s Lonely In Gorgeous, with its lovely bit of synth wave. They’re probably not on that same breakout trajectory, and this track will likely be more of a one-off experiment than a sign of a complete shift in direction. But still, it’s cool to see 7co take a crack at it.

hontonone
by speel plaats
Speaking of summer

These next couple of tracks all feel very summer-coded, which should clue you in that we’re now well into the thick of the season. I say that not just because all these bands are out here filming their PVs under the bright sun, but also because of the overall vibe and energy they’re bringing, as something you’d typically associate with summer. One thing that’s always felt like a staple in Japanese music this time of year is romance, with themes often centered around parting and the longing that follows; emotions that seem to simmer under the summer heat. speel plaats taps right into that with hontonone, and man, it really does melt the heart with the band’s emphatic delivery, especially with vocalist ayane singing like she’s wearing her heart right on her sleeve. Something I really appreciated about the song is how its unconventional structure made it feel even more genuine, almost like someone reading out a letter they’re sending to someone far away. It’s a small touch, but one that I think really drives the emotion home.

夢を見よう！/yume wo miyou!
by らそんぶる (rassemble)
Really just makes you get up on your feet and do… something, lol

A lot has been said about what’s often called the “springtime of youth.” In popular Japanese media, it’s a phrase that refers to that fleeting period where a person is meant to enjoy their youth to the fullest, whether that means falling in and out of love like we just talked about, or more commonly, chasing after a dream. These dreams are typically the kind that people tend to leave behind once they step into adulthood and become part of society. More often than not, it’s things like playing a sport, creating art, or being in a band; passions that, once that window closes, get relegated to hobbies if they’re pursued at all. Rassemble looks to challenge that notion with their aptly titled Yume wo miyou! (literally, “go ahead and dream!”), a song that encourages listeners to keep dreaming no matter how old they are. There’s no shame in it, they say. Maybe that message comes from a deeply personal place, with the band now having entered adulthood themselves, still choosing to follow a dream through their music. With such a genuinely infectious outlook, it’s hard not to feel the same way.

WAVE
by 春風レコード (harukaze record)
That’s hot

These next two bands I’m actually super excited to finally talk about here on the blog, as I’ve been a fan of both for what feels like forever but just never found the right moment to feature them on the Roundup, starting with Harukaze Record. I first discovered them on X when they were promoting their song relief, and I immediately fell in love with its jazzy R&B vibes, laced with a touch of city pop, going back to that retro aesthetic I mentioned earlier. I went on to check out the rest of their discography and was thrilled to find that this wasn’t just a one-off sound. This is very much Harukaze Record’s signature approach, which made me even more hyped for their next release. Enter WAVE, and yeah, it’s absolutely wavy, with a slick groove that just glides. The bass line in particular is buttery smooth and gives the song a really nice funky feel to it. Definitely the highlight for me. All in all, just a cool and breezy tune to vibe with on a hot summer day.

オンリーロンリータウン/only lonely town
by ミーマイナー (MEminor)
Interesting times ahead

The next band I’ve been wanting to feature here on the blog is the intriguing pairing of singer-songwriter Misaki and Vocaloid producer Sasuke, who some of you might know better under their composer/producer alias Monouge, together forming the duo MEminor. I call it an intriguing combo because, typically, when a singer-songwriter teams up with a Vocaloid producer, the result leans heavily into youth pop territory, often driven by the producer’s electronic sensibilities. That’s not quite the case here. In fact, listening to Only lonely town, aside from a few stray guitar licks, you’d be hard-pressed to guess that one-half of this unit cut their teeth in the Vocaloid scene. Instead, what you get is something that feels right at home among the indie bands playing Japan’s live house circuit. A big part of why I first became so curious about MEminor is because of how often I’ve seen them pop up on the same bills as bands I’m already listening to (most notably Siberian Husky, who, as you all know, I’m a huge fan of). By that same token, I can easily see MEminor following a similar path and becoming a band to keep an eye on, especially now that we’re starting to hear more from them.

未成年/miseinen
by 季楽 (”kirara”)
Something of a throwback

In stark contrast to MEminor, whose name I was already seeing pop up regularly on live house listings, singer-songwriter Kirara wasn’t even on my radar until very recently, when I just so happened to stumble upon her debut single REVIVE. To be fair, it hasn’t been that long since she started releasing original material, having mostly uploaded acoustic covers on her YouTube channel prior. That said, the music she’s put out so far has been something of a far cry from what you might expect based on those covers. If anything, what she’s doing now feels like a bit of a throwback. If I had to put a finger on it, I’d say it sounds like a cross between the early works of Hump Back and yonige. In particular, the way she writes a chorus, and her riffs too, as heard here in Miseinen, gives off this distinctly late ‘90s to early 2000s emo rock vibe that, as someone who grew up on that kind of music, I’m just genetically predisposed to be into (lol). She’s been fairly active since her debut too, already having put out an EP earlier this year, which I definitely recommend checking out if Miseinen hit the right notes for you.

さんざん/sanzan
by 望月ヒナタ (mochizuki hinata)
A short break from the usual band offerings

If you know anything about me and my tastes when it comes to Japanese music, whether that’s from following the Roundup for a good while now (shoutout to you real ones) or through any of the other corners of the internet where I yap about Japanese music, you’d know that while I primarily listen to alternative rock, I actually have just as much love (if not more sometimes, depending on the day) for Japanese hip-hop, R&B, and rap. Is that an exaggeration? …Maybe. But I really do enjoy it a lot, especially when it sounds as catchy as Mochizuki Hinata’s Sanzan. There’s just something straight-up addictive about this track that has me keeping it on loop, and I think it largely has to do with Hinata’s voice. I’ve found that I tend to gravitate more toward artists with a deeper vocal register in this space, and hers hits that sweet spot for me. That, paired with the equally catchy beat courtesy of producer TAAR, creates such a vibey, easy-to-get-lost-in kind of track. Speaking of debuts, she actually just released her first EP this month as part of her official media debut under Victor Entertainment, so yeah, definitely one to keep tabs on.

神愛/shenai/shinai
by 青春群像録 (seishun gunzouroku)
That’s the stuff

If you happen to follow me on X (@Leap250 if you don’t), you might’ve seen me posting playlists over the past couple of weeks under the title 和式オルタナ, or wa-shiki alterna, which roughly translates to “Japanese-style alternative.” Borrowing from singer-songwriter Kitani Tatsuya’s definition, Japanese-style alternative is “music by bands where intricate guitar work is at the core of the arrangement, but the vocal melodies are just as important.” I’ve found that this kind of sound is more or less what I tend to seek out for myself too, so I figured, seeing as it’s more of an informal designation anyway, I’d try my hand at curating some songs that I feel best represent the style, if only to help shine a bit more light on this particular flavor of music that I enjoy. In deliberately looking for tracks that fit the bill, I’ve since discovered even more bands working in this space. One such example being Seishun Gunzouroku, with their track 神愛/shenai. This song embodies the essence of Japanese-style alternative to a tee, in my opinion: gorgeous guitar work intertwined with earnest, emotionally resonant vocals. It honestly gives me a bit of a cross between Itsue and arne, so if you’re a fan of either of those bands, you’ll definitely find something to love here too.

MUST LISTEN:
“Fuji” by Trooper Salute and “神愛/shenai” by Seishun Gunzouroku
It’s entirely possible that I might change my mind once we get through the latter half of 2025, but as things stand right now, I have no qualms saying that Trooper Salute’s Fuji is, hands down, my favorite single to have come out this year. The song is an experience in and of itself. One that I’ve found myself returning to again and again this month, and one that I can see myself continuing to revisit for a long while. I absolutely love everything about it. I could pretty much say the exact same thing about Seishun Gunzouroku’s 神愛 / shenai too, which comes with the caveat of being from a band that seems to be fresh out of high school. With young bands like this, there’s always that lingering question of how long they’ll stick around, if they even stick around at all. Personally (and perhaps a little selfishly), I really hope they do, because I’d love nothing more than to hear more of what I heard from them here.

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The YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music playlists have ALL now been updated with this month’s featured tracks. Make sure to follow them on your preferred listening service if you haven’t yet!

And if you’re still down for more recommendations, don’t worry, I got you covered. Check out the Roundup Extended Playlist (EP) down below!

What did you guys think of this month’s Roundup? Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

And hey, if you’ve got any standout picks of your own from this past month, don’t hesitate to drop them down below too! Always down to hear what you’ve all been vibin’ to!

It was a good time to be at this month’s J-Music Advance Party, as it always tends to be, as we got to talk about some absolute bangers that dropped this July. It’s already been a couple of weeks since, but I’m still bumping reina’s NICO (hopefully you are too!), and if you checked it out because of the Party… you’re welcome 😜 If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, I actually run a separate series on my Substack newsletter where I go over upcoming albums, EPs, and mini albums I’m personally looking forward to at the start of each month. If that sounds like your kind of thing, feel free to subscribe and become a Party-goer (it’s totally free!) The next issue drops on August 10, 2025. Hope to see you there!

We only got through one week of the Spotify J-Music Playlist Draft this month with Week 15. A bit of a casualty from the business trip I mentioned earlier. Not like it really hurts the season, given how much of a lead Spotify already has, but still! We’ll be catching up in the next Draft week, which will feature ten songs in the pool instead of the usual five, so stay tuned for that!

What wasn’t a casualty, though, is the return of the J-Music Exchange/Rate, fresh off its 5th year anniversary! We’ve got a brand new pair of Japanese music album reviews for you this month, where Al and I talk about some of 2025’s standout releases (at least in our opinion 😎). One of my personal favorites this year was Harusaruhi’s RULE THE WORLD. You can catch Al’s review of it over at the Omunibasu Substack! As for me, I had the pleasure of diving into one of Al’s 2025 faves: bane’s CONTRAST. If you haven’t already, you can check out my review of it right here!

And that should do it! Thanks so much for dropping by, as always. The hope, as ever, is that you had just as much fun checking out this month’s recs as I did putting them together. Catch you all on the next one!

Happy Listening! 🎧